The Awakening
by Diffindo
Summary: A young man banished out of a war ridden world tries to get by in a world of monsters and superheroes while hiding his own abilities. Now rewritten as 'The Avengers'.
1. The Arrival

Chapter 1: The Arrival

It was a rather quiet night. Very unusual when you are talking about London. Rushing cars and bustling people did very little to disturb the night. But there was a sense of foreboding in the air, something was going to happen. Someone was coming.

The lights were flickering inside the Underground.

"What is up with the lights?" said a man passing by.

There were a few people around trying to catch the tube home. The flickering lights seemed to get brighter. They watched in apprehension as the lights became so bright it was almost blinding.

Suddenly the lights went out completely and seemingly out of nowhere blue sparks began shooting towards the tracks. The passengers started to panic. But just as they were about to scramble out of the station the sparks faded and the lights came back on. Some officers were trying to help the passengers. But as they looked around they saw a young boy laying on the tracks.

An Officer came up to the kid and tried to wake him. The kid slowly started stirring and started muttering to himself.

"Are you okay kid?" the Officer asked the boy.

The kid was still muttering to himself. "Should have seen it coming".

The Officer was getting concerned now. The kid must have hit his head, he thought.

"Should have seen coming what? Are you okay?" he asked again.

That's when he really looked at the boy. He seemed to be wearing old fashioned robes which were tattered on the edges with strange emblems and markings. The kid was short and weary. The Officer started to wonder, is this kid part of some cult.

The kid must have noticed his gaze because he started to look around now.

Then he said rather amusingly "This is not King's Cross".

"Are you okay kid" the Officer asked again.

"Yeah, I am fine" the kid replied.

He looked around again and asked the Officer "So, is there a train I'm supposed to catch or am I waiting for my judgement here?"

The Officer was completely perplexed.

"What are you talking about kid? You got a place to go?" he asked.

The kid was still measuring the surroundings. "Are you the conductor?" he asked.

"No". The Officer replied.

"How long since you died? They must have sent someone with experience".

The kid was completely barmy.

"You are off your rocker kid. Did you hit your head on the tracks?"

"If you're not dead, then how come we are having this conversation?" .The kid was creeping him out now.

"Stop playing kid" the Officer said. "You're not dead and neither am I".

"Huh" the kid seemed to be pondering this.

"Where did that bloody veil take me?" he was talking to himself again.

"Where are we anyway?" the kid asked.

"We are in the London Underground." the Officer replied. "You got somewhere to go" he continued.

"London Underground huh, makes sense".

"Makes what sense? Seriously kid what is your name and where do you live".

"Sorry Officer, can't tell you. I will see myself off now".

The Officer thought to himself, this kid might be part of some cult talking about death and calling me dead. I can't just let him leave without knowing who he is.

"You got to tell me your name kid. Your parents must be worried sick".

"You don't need to worry about that Officer". The kid waved his hand in front of him and suddenly the Officer felt compelled to check the route lines.

I have checked the route already he thought, better check it again.

The Officer backed away from the kid and turned the other way.

"Sorry about that. But I can't let you know who I am". The kid turned around and walked out into the London night.

He took in the surroundings and thought "This looks a bit different".

But just as he was about to take another step he heard a loud screech and blinding light flashed on his green eyes. The car hit him with great impact and he hit the side walk. Before he slipped into unconsciousness he thought,

"What a day".


	2. Wake Up

Chapter 2: Wake Up

Harry was woken up by steady beeping sounds. He opened his eyes and looked around. He was in a white room laying on a white bed with sheets covering him. He checked his robes. No, he was wearing white gowns as well. He had seen too much white in his life.

He looked for the beeping sound and found the source .It looked to be some kind of machine, and he was hooked up to it.

Obviously this is a hospital, he thought. "Why exactly am I here?" he mused.

Then the events of the previous day came flooding back to him.

The raid that was supposed to happen, the betrayal, the setup, the ambush, the fight and then

Falling.

Endless falling. It had seemed an eternity to him falling through that damn curtain.

This must be what Sirius felt.

He thought for sure, I'm dead. This time I'm dead.

But after falling for what felt like an eternity he found a light. Something to hold on to in this endless existence. May be that will take me to afterlife, he had thought.

But as he touched the light he felt a tug on his body. Did he have a body anymore he had thought. Indeed he had.

When he fell on those tracks his first thought was , "Dumbledore might be around the corner".

But all he felt was pain. He wasn't new to pain, but this was different. He hadn't expected it. Wasn't death supposed to stop the pain? This didn't happen the last time. Maybe I'm in hell.

He was picked up by a man in uniform. He remembered blabbing on about death and greeting party and trains till he realized one thing. He wasn't dead. The veil didn't do the job or maybe that wasn't it was supposed to do. He asked the man in uniform where he was.

When he realized he was in London Underground things began to make more sense. The veil didn't kill him, it just threw him to a different world. For all intents and purpose he was dead to his own world. He was in uncharted waters now.

Maybe Sirius is here , he thought naively until he realized he had seen his ghost and talked to him. Stupid, he berated himself.

All these thoughts were flowing through his head that he didn't see the gaze the officer had on him. He was looking at him like he would crumple to the floor at any moment. Then the man started asking questions.

No, that wouldn't do. He put a compulsion on the officer to walk the other way. He never liked manipulating people but this was necessary. No one should know the complete truth about him.

As he started to make his way out he thought, There is no Ministry here and no Veil of Death. This is where it is supposed to be. Does this mean I'm one of a kind, he thought to himself. He really should have watched the road rather than pondering over his fate.

All he remembered was a flashing light and getting knocked off his feet and landing hard on the road.

"Stupid, Stupid, Stupid", he was murmuring now.

"Robs banks, rides dragons, kills Dark Lords, escape death curtains but can't get out of the way of a bloody car".

"What was that about dragons?"

He looked up and saw a nurse standing over him.

I must be getting rusty, he thought.

"Nothing, just a fancy story" he replied.

"Didn't think you would wake up so soon" the nurse said. "You were lucky. You had hit your head pretty hard. That guy was frantic when he brought you in".

"Nothing new there" he said. The nurse just gave him a look like "really dude" and walked away. "The doctor will be here to see you soon" she added before leaving.

"Good. That is over with. What the hell am I supposed to do now?". Planning ahead had never worked out for him.

Then he heard a voice

"How are we today?"

It can't be. He jerked his head up and saw it was true.

Standing in front of him was Hermione Granger.


	3. Surprise, Surprise

Chapter 3: Surprise, Surprise

This is not real.

He was looking at the face of his best friend. But she wasn't the best friend he remembered.

She looked younger somehow. No signs of weariness. There wouldn't be any here and now, would there he thought.

She looked beautiful, much more than he remembered. Maybe his head was playing games with him. She didn't have shadows under her eyes or scars on her hand.

This Hermione was happier. She wasn't looked down like dirt beneath the feet by people of supposed noble birth. She hadn't gone through the horror of bullying and prosecution. She hadn't suffered at the hands of others just because she stood her ground. She wasn't affected by the horrors of war created by arrogant men preaching nobility. She wasn't tortured by psychopaths just because they thought it would be fun. She wasn't woken up by night terrors. She hadn't lost the light in her eyes.

This is a Hermione Granger full of life.

"I know I'm gorgeous but if you don't stop staring I'm going to have to kick you in the head a little bit".

Her words brought him back to the world from his thoughts.

"Sorry, but you just remind me of someone".

"Really, who?" she asked

"My best friend. She looks just like you" he replied.

"And where would that best friend be now?" she asked again.

He didn't know how to reply to that question. Where was his best friend. Does she even exist anymore. Did his fall through the veil create an alternate reality. Can he ever go back.

He was so concerned about himself and his plans in this new world that he didn't think about the people he left behind. Now that the thought had entered his head, he couldn't erase it.

What would happen to his friends now? Will they disband and wither away now that he is gone? Would they flee the country thinking that he died?

There was nothing he could do now really. He wouldn't be able to go back. Even if he could god knows how long it will take to find a way and even if he had the power to open a portal like that.

Maybe I should try walking through a curtain , he thought.

His depression must have been showing on his face because he felt Hermione's hand on his shoulder.

"Should I have not asked that?" she asked him in concern.

"No, it's okay" he replied. "I really don't know where she is or what happened to her. Your face just brought a lot of memories back".

"I'm sorry to hear that" she said.

She took some files from the bed stand and started going through it. But her face was taking on a look of astonishment as she continued.

"You had both your arms broken a fractured rib and a concussion when you were brought in. But your scans are showing no signs of broken arms or fractured ribs. How in the hell do you heal?"

He was surprised as well. He hadn't thought much about the casts when he woke up, but now that he was actively thinking about it he couldn't get one question out of his mind.

How?

How was this possible?

He had healed broken bones without really knowing about it when he was a little kid, when he knew nothing about Hogwarts or his parents. But he had never healed so quickly, never an injury like this. This had never happened in the seven years of his school life or when he was on the run or in open battles.

What kind of world was this? What exactly did the veil do to him?

The nurse was back now and she was checking his casts. But as she started removing it she looked surprised as well.

"This was definitely broken yesterday".

"Are you a mutant?"

Hermione looked excited as she asked this question like she was a little kid who was promised candy.

"Sorry, but what is a mutant" he asked her.

"You know, mutated genes".

"No" he was really confused now.

"You seriously don't know about mutation?" she looked disbelieving.

"Should I?"

"No I don't suppose" she replied. "The subject of mutation was one of my obsessions when I was a student, still is. People having extraordinary abilities because of their gene composition. We already had Captain America by gene alteration, who says it can't happen naturally".

"It was the super serum" the nurse corrected her.

"It's the same thing".

Hermione seemed to be stubborn in every world.

Finally he said, "I didn't understand a word of what you just said".

"It's ok, you will get there someday" she replied with a hint of smile.

He couldn't help crack a little. This felt like old times.

"Since my injuries are all healed am I allowed to leave".

"So eager to leave are you?" she asked.

He just shrugged his shoulders.

"The casts are removed and you seem to be perfectly alright. Still we would like to keep you here for a few days, you know hospital policy. I hope that's okay with you".

He just nodded his head. He was feeling rather tired and the assurance of having a few days of bed rest and care seemed appealing to him. Plus there was Hermione.

"OK, then rest now" she told him.

"Our conversation isn't over you know" she added before leaving the room.

He watched her passing figure as she left and was reeling with a sense of loneliness. He soon gave way to the exhaustion and fell asleep.


	4. Leave the sanctuary

Chapter 4: Leave the sanctuary

Harry awoke sometime later, and was left pondering a whole lot of questions.

Hermione was here. But she wasn't like he expected her to be. She was more confident and happy. Something he hadn't seen from Hermione in a long time. Clearly she was different. He wasn't even sure that she had abilities like in his world.

Does she have those powers? Is she aware? Is she trying to it like he was planning to? Or is he just reading too much into this?

Maybe she is just an ordinary girl, who had great ambitions like his friend. But unlike his friend she had achieved those ambitions it would seem. And she is happy.

Then his thought took him down a different path. If Hermione was here then there was a real possibility that his other friends would be here too. Maybe Ron, Neville, Ginny, Luna and maybe even Dumbledore could be here. Maybe Sirius could be here too. Maybe his parents too. Maybe there is a Harry Potter going on about his life in this world right now.

I don't know what I would do if I met him, he thought to himself.

He doesn't know what kind of person this alternate self of him would be. Is he a good person? What would he do if he saw someone looking exactly like him and having the same name? Does this other guy even exist in this world?

I wouldn't know unless I tried to find out myself, he thought.

But the thought of leaving the hospital was a little discomforting for him. He had never liked to stay in one place for too long, certainly not a hospital bed. But the feeling that he most probably is alone in this world and the presence of Hermione here was making it difficult for him to leave the hospital.

But still, he wouldn't be able to stay in this bed for too long. His injuries were all gone. He didn't have any major issues that would make him bedridden. And the hospital wouldn't let him stay either.

Still, the most important thing for him to do right now is to find out about himself in this world. Only then will he be able to plan and set up his life here.

His thoughts were interrupted by Hermione's arrival.

"How long have you been up for?" she asked.

"Just a little while" he replied.

"I should have done this earlier but our conversation got a little carried away and you were tired" she had a clipboard on her hand.

"What is your name?" she asked.

"Harry" he replied.

He was hesitant to give his full name on the off chance that there was another Harry Potter looking like him in this world.

"Just Harry, no surnames, family names anything?" she asked.

"No, just Harry" he replied.

"Okay just Harry, how old are you?"

That was an interesting question. Exactly how old was he? It felt like he spent an eternity falling through the veil. Just might add a few more years.

"29" he finally replied.

"Really?" she looked surprised while noting it down. "I had pegged you at 22 at best".

"Yeah, I get that a lot" he said. It was the truth. People always tend to think he was younger. Damn the Dursleys.

"So address?" she asked.

"No.12 Grimmauld Place" he replied quickly without thinking. There was a slight possibility that his godfather's old home might exist here too.

Hermione looked at him funny when he said it.

"Really ,that's your address?" she asked.

"Yes, if it didn't get blown up".

"Okay". She didn't look convinced as she dotted the address down.

"Hey, you are asking all these questions about me and I don't know anything about you" he said.

"Well, what do you want to know ?" she asked.

"You could tell me your name".

"You said I looked like your friend. Guess my name".

"Eh, Emily maybe". He didn't want to guess Hermione Granger and freak her out.

"Not even close. My name is actually Hermione". Well he knew that already.

"Hermione, like Hermione from the Winter's Tale". His friend used to get teased for her name in school, he remembered. Maybe this Hermione had the same problem.

"Oh" she looked surprised. "You know your Shakespeare".

"Yeah, a little" he replied.

"Hermione, no surnames?" he asked the same thing she had asked him earlier.

"You didn't tell me yours" she pouted.

"I don't really have a surname" he tried to defend himself.

"That's okay. My name is Hermione Granger" she said.

That's when he noticed the ring on her finger. She was married already.

"You married?" he asked her.

"Why, were you hoping for a chance?" she asked him as she showed him her ring finger.

"No, just didn't think that you would be married so young".

"I'll have you know that I'm older than you".

Her reply caught him by surprise. Hermione of his world was older than him too by a year. If Hermione thought she was older than him, what year was he in?

"Just conversation material" he added awkwardly.

"Okay Harry, now do you feel any pain or discomfort from your injuries?" she asked him.

"No" he replied.

"Then Harry, you are allowed to leave now, that is if you want to".

Staying here was certainly a comforting thought for Harry. But he had things to do. Things that couldn't wait.

He felt that Hermione might still be curious about his healing.

"Staying sound good, but I got some stuff to do".

"Are you sure?" Hermione didn't seem intent on letting him leave just yet.

"I'm sorry, but this can't wait" he replied.

Hermione seemed put out by that answer.

"OK then Harry, if you're sure you can leave and go about your business, but if you do get any more trouble com back OK".

"Sure I will" he replied.

As she was about to leave she turned and asked him, "Can I have your number?"

"You are not going to let the mutant thing go are you?" he asked her.

"We are friends now right, it's good to keep in touch with your friends".

Right now Hermione looked like the eleven year old girl he met at the Hogwarts Express.

"We are friends" Harry replied. "But I don't have a telephone". It was the truth really.

"Traditionalist huh, okay. I will give you my number then". She took a card from her pocket and gave it to Harry.

"Call when you have time, I want to know more about you".

Harry felt like he was regaining a battered old friendship.

"Thanks, I'll call you".

"Bye then" she said and started walking out

Just as she was about to leave the room she added "Just Harry". And she left.

Harry smiled. He had found a ray of hope in this world.

He picked himself up, put on his old robes and walked out of his sanctuary. As he reached the reception he saw the day's Telegraph lying on the desk. He checked for the date in the news paper and got the confirmation he needed.

It was May 5, 2010.


	5. Tricky Memories

Chapter 5: Tricky memories

A/N: Chapter 4 has now been updated to remove the inconsistency in characters and their conversations.

May 5, 2011.

The date seemed unreal to him. This was a new millennium. The time was almost 14 years ahead of where he came from. He had missed the whole 2000's. There were slight differences between his world and this world. How much of that came from the world shift and how much from the time shift. This thing is going to spin his head around.

The time shift definitely changes things, he thought. He doesn't know what kind of technological advancements that might have happened in 14 years. The only real contact with technology for him happened when he used to sneak into his cousin's room to play video games. Or that one time when Ron called him at Privet Drive. That was hilarious, he thought.

He needed money. He had nothing on himself. He didn't have his wand. There was a limit to how much wand less magic he could do. Using the compulsion charm on that Officer really did weaken him.

That's probably the reason I got hit by that car, he thought.

He could try a little confounding to get a little cash to get by. But that was still a risk. This wasn't just a new world. This also was a new age in this world. He doesn't really know what people are capable of these days and if he came out doing magic and gets caught he could get locked up, be experimented on or just killed. He didn't have much of a defense against an attack right now. And if someone tried to kill him, they might just succeed in it. He was totally vulnerable.

Maybe not, he thought.

He had healed remarkably quickly when he got hit by that car. Broken bones and fractured rib. Even when he was at Hogwarts it took about a day or two to heal injuries like that. But he was up and about without any magical treatment and that too in just a night. If he could heal that quickly it would certainly be an advantage if someone tried something on him.

Still what would happen if someone just shot his head? Could he heal quickly enough from a hit to the brain or would he just die. Probably Voldemort might have had better luck with shooting him.

I certainly have a morbid imagination, he mused.

Harry finally made a decision. He had to go to Little Whinging. There might be nothing important to be found there, but there was still a chance that the other Harry might have grown up there. He might not be a wizard. There is a very good chance that this world is devoid of wizards. This could mean that his aunt wouldn't have any real reason to hate his mother. Even if the other Harry's parents were alive he might have maintained a good relationship with his aunt and uncle. He could find some clues there.

Now how to get there?

Trains. That's the one risk free setting Harry could think of. He could get the tickets easily enough. The trick would be staying under notice on the journey. He didn't want anyone to recognize him.

He started to make his way over to King's Cross. This feels like old times, he thought. As he walked by he observed the surroundings. Things have changed a lot. Or maybe it has changed from his perspective. This feels really weird, he thought. He was looking for himself. Trying to find about that other life he could have had.

As he reached the station something caught his attention. There was a vendor selling hats nearby and one hat caught his attention. It was an old deerstalker. This is perfect, he thought. The hat could be used to cover his dace for the most part and avoid recognition. Plus it was cool.

He walked up to the vendor and took the hat in his hand and started examining it.

"You like the hat kid?" the guy asked him.

"I don't have any money on me" Harry replied honestly.

"What do you have kid?"

What did he have? He checked his pocket. Nothing, there was nothing there. Then something caught his hand. A coin. He took it out and looked at it and memories flooded back to him.

This was his coin. The one coin he used to send messages to his friends. One of the many coins that were used to organize meetings and practices when he ran DA. The only time he actually taught a group. The first time he felt like a leader.

This was one of the coins which were used when Death Eaters attacked Hogwarts. This coin was used in the Battle of Hogwarts. This coin was charmed by Hermione.

He was reluctant to let the coin go. This was a connection to his world. A connection back to his friends.

The vendor asked, "Is that real gold?"

Harry just kept looking at the coin. He didn't want to part with it. Was the hat really necessary? He liked the hat, but he could disguise himself some other way.

His reluctance must have been shown on his face.

"That coin special to you kid?" the guy asked.

"Yes, very special" Harry replied.

The vendor just stared at him for a few moments and then he spoke,

"You take the hat kid, keep your coin".

Harry was astounded. He was used to people giving him things freely. But that was because he was practically a celebrity in his world.

But this stranger who just sells his hats on the streets was willing to give away one of his hats to a weird kid for free, so that he could keep his trinket.

"Thank you" Harry replied genuinely.

"Don't worry kid, the hat was cheap anyway".

Harry just smiled at the comment and took the hat and wore it over his head. For just a moment he felt like Sherlock Holmes.

"Take good care of it OK" the vendor said.

"Yes, I will" Harry replied and tipped his hat to the guy.

Harry then made his way into the station. He looked around the place. There were cameras all around. He needed to be careful not to get caught in it.

He went up to the ticket counter and asked for a ticket to Surrey. When the man got the ticket, Harry carefully tried a Confundus charm on him. He didn't know if it worked or not.

The man said, "That would be 4 pounds".

"I paid you already" Harry replied.

The man looked confused now. The charm had worked.

"You paid?" he asked Harry seemingly unsure.

"Yes, I did. You put the cash in the drawer".

The guy still looked unsure as he checked the drawer and then he handed the ticket to Harry. He just took the ticket and went towards the platform not waiting for the man to come to his senses.

Then the announcement came that the next train to Surrey was due in 30 minutes.

He was tired. He's been walking for a while. He sat on a bench nearby and slowly he drifted into the world of dreams.

"James, come here quick"

There was a sound of rushing footsteps coming from above.

"What? What happened?" James asked his wife.

"Your son is walking, that's what is happening" Lily replied.

That's when he turned and looked around at Harry who was walking wobbly.

James picked up his son and swirled him around laughing in joy.

"Hey Padfoot, Harry just beat you" James called to someone who wasn't in the room.

"What's with all the shouting? I was taking a nap". There was a new voice now.

"Harry just walked". Lily was almost bubbling with joy.

"Yeah, he beat your record dogfather" James was teasing his best friend.

"What, no way" Sirius picked his godson from his father and said.

"That was a fluke, right Harry".

He put Harry on the floor and Harry started walking straight towards his mother.

Lily picked him and brought a kiss down on his little cheek.

"I'm so proud" she said.

Harry was giggling loudly now.

"Told you Padfoot, that was no fluke".

Sirius turned around and sat in a corner seemingly put out, but inside he was overjoyed.

Just then there was a cry from the other side of the room.

Lily gave her son back to James and went to check in on the little voice.

"She's up early today" she told James.

Just then there was the sound of the bell ringing from outside the door. Sirius opened the door and there was a Police Officer waiting outside looking worried.

"Sir, you need to come quick" he told James. "There's been a situation".

James just turned around to his wife and said, "I'll be back quick".

He planted a kiss on his son and gave him back to his mother, who already had his daughter in her hand.

He kissed his little daughter and his wife and took a bag from the desk and turned back to go out of the door.

"Be back before Nat's bedtime" Lily called after her husband.

"I will" James replied.

"I'll come too" Sirius added.

James just nodded to him and walked out of the door with him.

Harry abruptly woke up from his nap. He looked at the clock in the station. There was still 10 minutes left for the train to Surrey. At the moment he had only one question in his mind.

Where did that come from?


	6. Master Death

Chapter 6: Master Death

The dream was unsettling for Harry. He knew it couldn't have been real. The events in the dream seemed to suggest that his family were muggles and more than that he seemed to have a sister. And Sirius was called Padfoot. Where could that name come from if he wasn't an animagus?

It seemed to be a strange mash up of the worlds. For Harry who had vivid dreams before which were very real, this was a cause of worry.

What if these events actually happened here?

His brain was playing games with him again.

Just then the announcement came that the train to Surrey was arriving at the station.

It is best not to ponder on about that dream, Harry thought. This might be just a figment of his overly imaginative mind.

The train arrived at the station just then and Harry brought the hat a little more down to his face. He checked for the tickets in his pocket and got into the train thinking about what he should do when he does get to Surrey.

He walked through the compartments and then sat on an empty seat.

I should check on Privet Drive first, he thought. That's where he grew up for most of his life except for Hogwarts. His aunt and uncle might be there. Maybe it would be best not to show them his face.

It was another 40 minutes before he reached the Surrey station. He got off there and walked out thinking, this is it.

He found Little Whinging on the map. It was only a short walk away.

He walked on until he reached Magnolia Road. There he saw it. The old park where he used to spend time when he wasn't tormented by Dudley and his gang. The playground in there and the swings. Those would not be in working condition if Dudley was still playing around, he thought.

He walked on and then took a turn to Wisteria Walk. All these houses still look the same, he thought. There was a sense of familiarity all around for Harry. He had never been here before, but he had lived in a place just like this.

Exactly like this.

Best to get on with it, he thought. He took another turn and reached Privet Drive.

There it was. His own prison at home.

No.4 Privet Drive.

He clasped his hat on a little tighter to cover his hair and forehead and then went ahead to ring the bell.

It was a small girl who opened the door.

"Hello" she said in a timid voice.

There is no way she is a Dursley, Harry thought.

Just then a voice came from inside, "Who's at the door Evie?"

It was a blond woman, presumably the girl's mother.

"Can I help you?" she asked Harry.

Harry waited for a moment to phrase his question. Then he asked,

"Does Vernon or Dudley Dursley live here?"

"Oh, you came here looking for the Dursleys. They sold the house to us three years ago".

"Do you know their current address?" he asked her.

"Sorry, they didn't leave an address" she then added "You could talk to the neighbors and see if they know. Most of them were here before us".

"Thank You".

The woman closed the door and Harry turned back to the neighborhood thinking, they left.

He wouldn't have expected them to stay here their whole life. The Dursleys here might be very different from his own version. Dudley might have gotten some job or got married and they might have moved on with him to some other place.

His uncle always wanted to leave the place in his old world. He was stuck in Privet Drive because of Harry. Because of the warning from Dumbledore. Because of the protection.

He walked on to the nearby houses and asked around about the Dursleys. After some conversations with the people he was sure of one thing.

Either these people were really rude or the Dursleys were not that different from his own world. The mere mention of the word Dursley seemed to darken the faces of these neighbors. What happened here?

He got no information about a person called Harry Potter from there. Maybe he never lived here, Harry thought.

He walked on to the Magnolia Crescent. Maybe would be there. She might know something about him.

He reached the house and rang the bell. But it wasn't who opened the door.

It was a man who opened the door.

"Yes?" he asked Harry.

"Does Arabella Figg live here?" Harry asked.

The man looked a little miserable at the question.

"She passed away, some time ago. I'm her son."

"Oh". This was quite saddening to Harry. was the only person who looked out for him when he was little. She was dead here.

"I'm sorry for your loss" Harry consoled the man.

"Thank you" he replied.

"Did you know her?" the man asked Harry again.

"Yeah, when I was a little kid" Harry answered.

There were footsteps from inside the house and the man's wife and kids came out to the living room.

"Hey, do you want to have lunch with us?" he asked Harry.

That was a very kind invitation to an absolute stranger, Harry thought. Vey impulsive too.

But the thought of lunch brought Harry back to his stomach. From the time he left the hospital he hadn't eaten anything. A good meal was very appealing to him right now.

"Thanks, I'm a little hungry" Harry replied.

The man brought him in to the dining room got a seat for him.

"I'm Jason and this is my wife Rose and these are my kids, Adam and Amanda" he introduced his family.

It was a happy family. Something that Harry never had. He smiled at the kids who were giggling at the long garbs of the stranger.

"I'm Mark" he didn't want to give out his real name here.

They all sat down, said their prayers and started with their meal.

"So what brought you here Mark?" Jason asked him.

"I was trying to find my old friend who used to live around here" Harry replied, "But no one seems to have heard about him".

"Where did your friend live?" it was Rose who asked the question.

"No.4 Privet Drive".

"Dursleys, are you looking for Dudley" Jason asked him.

"No his cousin, Harry" Harry replied. "The people at Privet Drive were a little hostile when I mentioned the Dursleys".

"It's understandable I suppose" Jason replied him.

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"There was a little spat between Dudley and some other kid from around the block. Dudley beat him up. It got bad. The police got involved and I heard they had to make some kind of deal with the kid's parents to get Dudley out of it. They kind of became the hated bunch of the neighborhood and it got to the point that they had to sell the house and move away".

Harry knew where Dudley was headed even in his own world. But there was one deciding factor that stopped him from going too far. Harry Potter's presence at Privet Drive and the subsequent Dementor attack that showed him what kind of person he was. It never happened here so Dudley just continued on and Vernon might have just encouraged him further.

"What about Harry?" Harry wanted to know where he was in all this.

"I have heard a little about the other kids living at the Dursleys from my mom, but it wasn't much. I wasn't around when they lived here. I only started living here after my mom died. All I know is that there were two kids at No.4 who ran away a long time ago. There was a police investigation but nothing was ever found".

He had thought of doing the same thing for so long when he lived there. But he always stuck it out, thinking that someday someone will come for him. And it did.

Did that happen here too? Did some long lost relative just took him and run away? Or was it just him running away from everything? And what about the other kid Jason mentioned? Did he really have a sibling in this world?

"I'm sorry that I can't tell you more about your friend" Jason said.

Harry just nodded.

"Thank you for telling me this" Harry said. "I just wanted to catch up with him and hearing that he ran away is a bit too much to bear".

Harry finished the meal along with the others and then cleaned up ready to leave.

"Thank you for your hospitality".

"It was nothing" Jason replied. Then he added "Hope you find your friend".

Harry nodded and put his hat back on.

As he walked out he said to Jason "You've got a beautiful family, take care of them".

"Good bye" he said to the family, waved to the kids and walked out of the door.

Where now? That was the pressing question in his mind.

It was obvious Harry Potter had a similar life in this world too and he ran away from his home with someone else, something Harry had always considered doing himself. Where should I look for him now? Should I even go looking for him?

Yes, he thought. He needed to find out about his alternate self. What drove him to the point that he had to run away? What happened to this Harry that never happened to him?

He went down to the public library past Magnolia Crescent to check if there was any record there. He used to love coming at this library not just to read, but for the whole idea of escaping his house. The large shelves filled with books had always fascinated him when he was little. But in Hogwarts none of that fascination came up. He was far too concerned about staying alive then.

He walked into the library. It was a bit deserted. Not many people were coming down here to check out the books.

He walked up to the librarian and put a compulsion charm on him making sure that no one notices it.

"Could I see any records you have on Harry Potter?" he asked the librarian.

The guy just looked at him for a moment and then started typing on the computer. It had worked. Strangely Harry didn't feel any of the exhaustion he had felt when he did magic before. I'm getting stronger then, he thought.

"There are records of library cards issued to Harry Potter and Natalie Potter in 1991".

These words just added more questions in Harry's mind.

Natalie Potter.

The dream he had earlier came flooding back to him. He had thought that was just his over active imagination. But here was the proof. He did have a sister.

He had heard his mother calling the little girl 'Nat' in the dream.

Why did he dream that when it clearly had happened in this world?

Was he getting his alternate's memories?

He asked the librarian, "Do you have any contacts for them in there?"

"There is no number here, but I do have an address at Cottonbridge for Natalie Potter".

Harry took the address down from the guy and removed the compulsion charm.

Harry looked up the location on the map and was surprised by what he found. This was Godric's Hollow although the town wasn't called that in this world.

He went out of the library and into the streets thinking, why are they living there? Did they inherit the house from their parents? Would they still be there?

He tried apparating into the Hollow but found that he just couldn't do it. It was a long shot anyway, he thought. But still the usual weariness he associated with magic never came. That was a good sign in his books.

He went back to the train station and bought the tickets to Cottonbridge. Again he had to confound the guy to get it. I got to stop doing this, he thought.

He had to wait a little while for the train to arrive when it arrived he got on it and took a seat and just sat there thinking. He was going back to Godric's Hollow. He didn't exactly have pleasant memories of the place.

The ride to Cottonbridge took less than an hour. He got off the station and looked up the town in the map. It was just a little walk away. He continued walking on to the town and finally reached it in a while.

He was hit with a sense of déjà vu. Everything looked the same. The houses, the church, the bells, the graveyard.

Last time he was here he was searching for the Sword of Gryffindor with Hermione. He had finally got to see his parent's graves that day. Not to mention he got mauled by a giant snake that day.

The fear and vulnerability he felt then came creeping back up to him.

He went into the graveyard. There were so many graves here just like in his world, many of them dating back centuries.

One grave caught his attention then.

'Kendra Dumbledore'. Dumbledore's mother.

So they did live here.

There was another grave next to it, 'Ariana Dumbledore'.

Harry moved on, but the next grave stopped him in his tracks.

'Albus Dumbledore'. Died 12th September, 1945.

What? Harry couldn't believe it. Dumbledore was dead, and so much earlier than in his world.

Harry moved on from their graves. He was looking for something else. He searched for a while.

And then he found it.

'James Potter' and 'Lily Potter' died 31st October 1981.

That same Halloween date. And under the date where those same words.

"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death".

Harry couldn't bear to look at the gravestones. They were dead here too. Harry Potter and his sister were orphans who ran away from their abusive home.

He started to walk out of the graveyard when a fairly new gravestone caught his attention. He went forward to take a closer look and was shocked to the core when he read the name carved on it.

'Harry Potter'.

Harry Potter of this world was dead. The date on the tombstone was a few months ago. This had happened very recently. Was his appearance in this world related to his death?

He couldn't go to his parent's house now. If his sister was there she would surely freak out if she saw him. His heart was still beating hard. Did he cause this?

He made his way out of the graveyard and started to walk out of the town at a brisk pace. That's when he noticed it.

He had a shadow. Someone was following him. He looked back and saw no one there. He had a bad feeling about this.

He increased his pace and just as he was about to turn a corner he heard a loud gunshot and felt a gut wrenching pain. Someone had shot him in the chest. Blood was pouring out of his chest like a broken dam.

He looked forward and saw his attacker.

It was a man, dressed completely in black. He had a mask on. And he had metal arm with a red star on it.

Harry was slowly losing consciousness. He tried a stunning spell on the person but nothing happened. He tried again and again but nothing worked.

"This is how I die" he said out loud morosely.

Just then the attacker raised his gun to shoot him again.

His final thoughts fell on his godfather who had fallen through the veil like him.

Just then he felt a pull on his body. Before his attacker could take another shot Harry disapparated.

Harry fell on solid ground. He was bleeding profusely.

He looked ahead and saw that there someone standing in front of him. He looked up and was shocked by what he saw.

It was Sirius Black.

That was the last thing he remembered before blacking out.


	7. Dream On

Chapter 7: Dream On

He was running. Running out of his breath. Running for his life.

There were bruises and cuts all over his body and they were burning against his skin. But he didn't stop. This was important. This was the mission.

He checked his pockets again. The drive was still there. It hadn't got lost in the shuffle earlier.

 _They will be coming back for it soon_ , he thought. _I got to keep moving_.

The sounds of screeching tires broke his line of thought. They had found him. He needed to hide.

That's when he saw their ride. It was a black SUV parked over where he had been just minutes ago. _How did they find him so quickly?_

He looked for faces in the strike team who had been sent after him. He recognized a few of them.

 _I trusted them. I trusted them with my life and now they're here to kill me_.

He checked his cell. There was still no reply. Nobody was coming to help.

 _I'm on my own._

He briefly thought about calling his godfather. No, that would put him under danger rather unnecessarily.

But he needed to get this drive in the right hands. _Whom to call? Whom to trust?_

The strike team was circling on his location. _I need to find cover_ , he thought.

There was a warehouse nearby. He ran into it before the team could spot him.

He checked for his gun. There was still a few rounds left. Not enough to take them all out.

 _There is very little chance of me getting out of here alive. But this drive needs to get out. How? How to get it out?_

Just then a bullet whizzed past over his head. _Here we go again_ , he thought.

He immediately ran inside to the large box laid out and hid himself. But the strike team was moving fast towards him. He wouldn't be able to hide for long

Soon they had reached his hideout and the rounds were fired again. This was not his normal standard issue gun. These were machine guns. _This is going to tear the place apart._

He waited for the firing to end. They had to reload the clip at some point. And then it happened. The firing stopped and he could hear the shuffling of clips.

He took his opportunity and shot the nearest two that were firing at him. He saw that he had found his mark, but he didn't wait there. He shot a few more rounds and ran for the back door.

The drive was still secure. There is a lake nearby, he remembered. _I could find my way out of there._

He bolted the back door on his way out. _That should keep the strike at bay for a few minutes._ Then he started to run towards the lake as a fast as he could and he reached till the waterfalls. But the feeling of a gunshot wheezing past him stopped him in his tracks. He turned around for the source. It was a single man.

He was dressed completely in black, had a black mask on with goggles over his eyes. And he had a shining metallic left arm with a red star on top.

He immediately knew who this person was. The person who many believed to be just a myth. It was the Soldier.

He had known that the soldier was connected to all of this, but never for a second had he thought that they would actually send him to retrieve the drive.

 _I'm dead._

The soldier walked up to him and pointed his gun straight at his forehead and held a hand out. Obviously, he was here for the drive and wanted it to be handed to him.

 _The strike team would join them at any moment and then there would be no escape. How do I get out of this?_

 _The waterfalls behind me. That's the only escape_ , he thought. He slowly inched towards the falls. He was sure that the soldier had noticed the movement but he didn't move an inch and just kept on pointing the gun, holding his hand out.

The soldier was still staring down at him. _He should have shot me by now? Did he have orders to take me alive?_

He inched towards the falls a little more but this time the soldier didn't stay idle. He actually fired at him. But the soldier shooting him also prompted him to shoot back at the soldier's head. The bullet hit the mask but it didn't have the desired effect. It didn't even put a dent on his face.

The soldier was unfazed by the shot.

But the soldier hadn't missed his shot. The bullet hit him just below his left knee.

The shot at point blank range actually brought him down to his knees.

He looked up at the soldier and the gun pointed to his face. _This is how I'm going to die._

The shot he had fired had some effect on the mask because the soldier was removing it now along with the goggles.

But the face he saw under the mask actually shocked him.

 _I know this man. But it couldn't be him. He was presumed dead decades ago. How could it be him?_

He called out to the man, "Sergeant". This was a last ditch effort.

The soldier faltered for a moment as if recognizing the title he was referred to.

"You don't have to do this".

These words caused the soldier to drop his gun a little.

This was his opportunity. He pulled the gun on the soldier.

But that was his big mistake, because as soon as he pulled the gun the soldier shot him in the chest. The force of the shot propelled him over the edge and he started falling down the waterfalls.

 _I'm going to die._

Harry woke up before he hit the water.

 _Another dream? Where are these things coming from?_

But waking up brought him back to the predicament at hand. He was shot in the chest just like in the dream by the same person. But he wasn't dead. He could feel the pain in the chest. _Why did he dream that? Was it real?_

But then he remembered the events after being shot. He remembered being pulled into himself and the tightening around his chest, feeling his breath leave him. He had apparated.

But the real shocker was what happened after. He remembered seeing a face. The face of his godfather.

Harry opened his eyes for the first time after waking up and looked around. This wasn't a hospital. This was just a shabby room. Where was he?

He tried to get up from the bed, but found himself unable to do so. That's when he came to a startling realization.

He was chained to the bed.


	8. The Interrogation

Chapter 8: The Interrogation

He was chained to the bed.

He tried to get up again, but the hold on his arms and legs were unrelenting. Trying to get up again caused a shooting pain to course through his chest where he was shot.

He tried to break free of the chains again to no avail. It just caused him more pain.

He tried to remove the chains by magic, but no matter how much he tried it wouldn't buckle. He could feel his body getting drained by the effort.

 _What now?_ Harry thought.

Just then he heard a hoarse but familiar voice coming from just outside the room.

"Don't try to get up. Your wound might open up again."

 _I will recognize that voice anywhere,_ Harry thought.

Sirius came into the room and Harry got a really good look at his godfather.

He looked withered. The manly mane Sirius was so proud of was all grey now. Harry had never seen his godfather look so old and withered even when he was on the run. The lights that shone his godfather's eyes whenever he saw Harry were no longer there. This was a Sirius who had suffered long and hard, maybe much more than in his own world.

Sirius had a cup in his hand. He walked over to Harry and brought the cup just over Harry's head. Harry was too stunned to say anything to Sirius.

Then Sirius spoke in a hoarse voice, "Don't try anything".

Then he put the cup over Harry's mouth and pour the contents inside. Harry was unprepared for this. Before he could react Sirius had managed to unload the entire content of the cup into his mouth. Sirius had a tight hold on his mouth. He made sure that Harry swallowed the entire content despite his flimsy protests.

The taste was horrible. It felt worse than the polyjuice he had used to turn into Goyle.

 _What is that thing? Why is Sirius acting like this? What happened?_ Harry had a lot on his mind, but he still didn't speak.

Then Harry began to feel it. All his fear and apprehension seemed to be vanishing. His mind was clearing. All his thoughts were flying away. He was left with a sense of peace.

Sirius walked out of the room taking the cup with him leaving Harry alone.

 _This feels nice_ , Harry thought. The peace he was feeling now was something he had never experienced.

 _No, I had this experience before. When my mind was cleared of all mundane things. When I was willing to do anything._

As soon as that thought popped into his head Harry realized something was wrong. But he couldn't quite place it yet. His mind was still in a haze.

Sirius still hadn't come back.

Maybe _he is waiting._ _Waiting for what?_

This thought again pulled Harry into his previous musing.

Being willing to do anything.

 _Is that what Sirius is waiting for? What did I drink? Is this some kind of mind control like the Imperius?_

Harry was panicking now. When he could get sense of himself he realized that the effects of whatever he drank was eerily familiar to the Imperius curse. He was trying so hard to keep control of his mind, keep himself from being a tool but it seemed to be slipping away.

One moment he would think of breaking the chain and escaping and in the next moment he would be contemplating about the fact that he had a nice bed of his own and how nice his godfather was being.

In the rare moment Harry would get control back he tried to break away the chain, but still it wouldn't buckle. His efforts only seems to be adding more to his pain and tiredness making him more compulsive to the drink.

 _Godfather or not, I'm not staying here with that thing in my system._

But what could he do. The chains remained in place, trying to do magic only made him more tired and his mind was going over the bend by the minute.

He could hear slow footsteps outside the door now. Sirius was coming back. He came into the room with a stoic expression still etched on his face. He took a chair and sat across the bed from Harry.

Sirius just kept staring at him for some time. He wasn't in any hurry. He seemed to be assessing Harry.

Harry in his state couldn't quite make up his mind up to say anything. He just stared back at Sirius waiting for something to happen.

Finally Sirius spoke.

"OK, This is what is going to happen. I'm going to ask you some questions and you will answer me with the absolute truth. Do not try to lie".

Sirius paused for a moment and then continued, "I will know if you are lying and you won't like the consequences".

Sirius added this in a threatening note.

Harry could only just nod his head at that. _Whatever I drank must have made me more susceptible ,_ he thought.

"Now", Sirius started with him,"Who are you?"

The question reverberated through Harry's mind. It felt like a single thread he had to hold on to for his life.

"Harry Potter", he answered Sirius.

Sirius did not show any emotion on his face but Harry had a feeling that there was a turmoil going on inside.

Sirius took a moment before saying, "Harry Potter huh. Then let me rephrase my question. Why are you pretending to be my dead godson?"

Harry didn't know how to answer that question. _How do you answer that?_

But once again he felt compelled to answer the question.

"I'm really Harry Potter. I'm not pretending to be your godson. Technically I'm your godson."

Sirius just looked on at him with an expression he could not read. _Clearly, he doesn't believe me_ , Harry thought. _I need a better explanation._

"I told you, do not lie to me" Sirius was looking irritated now. "Answer me truthfully, who are you?"

Harry again felt the compulsion to answer the question, but he stopped himself just as he was about to answer.

 _Is that what the drink was doing? Compelling him to answer the questions? How did Sirius get hold of something like this? Where did it come from? What the hell did I take?_

A wide range of thoughts were flowing through Harry's mind now. He felt like he was breaking free of some dark element from himself. He felt the corners of his mind clearing and slowly he was coming into his sense. He could feel himself getting stronger.

The long pause Harry was taking to answer was clearly frustrating Sirius that it was evident on his face now. Sirius was getting angry.

"Answer me". Sirius roared at Harry. "Who are you?"

Tension was running high in the room with each passing moment. But Harry could feel his magic pulsing through his body now.

"I'm Harry Potter" Harry answered Sirius. "I'm your godson. I just come from a different world" he added.

These words caused a drastic change in Sirius. His face went from absolute fury to absolute shock. Harry could see that Sirius was slowly losing the color on his face.

Sirius was clearly stunned by that revelation. This was his opportunity.

"Relashio" he shouted and used the bare movement he had of his hands to complete the spell. This was the first time he had actually said the words out loud to do a spell after he had been stranded on this world. But the spell worked. The revulsion jinx caused the chains on Harry to fall down and he got up. He was now face to face with his godfather.

Harry thought that Sirius would have been shocked by the display, but when he watched him he looked close to tears.

"Harry" he heard his godfather's hoarse voice addressing him.

Harry looked at him. He remembered himself calling out to his godfather after he fell through the veil. The same veil he fell through years later.

 _Could it be?_ Harry thought.

But he didn't want to take any chances.

He shot a stunning spell at Sirius knocking him out for the moment.


	9. The Reunion

Chapter 9: The Reunion

 _How did it get to this?_

That was the thought running through Harry's mind at the moment.

He had just stunned his godfather, whether he was his real godfather he didn't know. And that happened just after the interrogation from the same man on who he was. To top that he had been shot in the chest and had healed remarkably quickly. And there were these weird dreams he was getting like he was living a life he hadn't lived at all.

He watched the slumped form of his godfather across the room or more accurately the godfather of Harry Potter from this world. Sirius looked old, older than he had ever seen him. Even back in his world Sirius had looked older than usual for his age. But Harry had put it down to his long period of stay in Azkaban. But here Sirius really looked like a wild man with his unkempt grey hair and the hoarse voice.

Harry went up to his godfather's slumped form and carried him to the same bed that he had been chained to a while ago. Sirius was really heavy. Harry briefly thought of using a hovering charm but then decided against it. After he put Sirius on the bed another thought started plagued him.

 _What should I do now? Should I chain him like he did with me? Should I put him through the whole interrogation process he did with me? Or should I just let him be?_

The whole demeanour with which Sirius had questioned him was alarming to Harry. Sirius obviously didn't have an easy life here. Maybe his godson didn't either. Sirius had thought him to be an impostor. Technically that was true. He wasn't his godson really. He was just another person having the same name and identical face and maybe share the DNA as well. Would you call that an impostor?

Harry also considered his situation. A few days ago he had been chasing rogue Death Eaters on the loose, those who just wouldn't believe that their master had died. He had heard chatter of them possibly trying to resurrect Voldemort and in their infinite knowledge they had decided that the best way to do that was to get rid of Harry Potter. They had succeeded. He had fallen into their trap and was banished into the veil of death. But instead of dying he had fallen into a different world. Much different than his own. So many things had happened in his brief stay. He had even met Hermione of this world who was nothing like his old friend. He had looked for himself only to find that Harry Potter was dead here. Then he had got shot by some person for god knows what reason. Then he had apparated accidentally, something he had tried and failed before. All this only to be chained to the bed like a criminal by his godfather.

Sirius's actions were understandable he supposed. His godson had died a while back and then another person pops up in front of him looking exactly like that godson. It would freak anyone out. But Sirius had treated him. He had removed the bullet from his chest and patched him up pretty well. But still Sirius would have noticed how quickly he had healed.

There was also the matter of the drink he had been force fed by Sirius. Harry had surmised that it acted like some kind of truth serum. He had felt mixed sensations under it's influence. One moment he felt like answering every question his captor posed and in the next moment he would come into his senses and try to escape. But the drink also seemed to be a catalyst to unlock his magic. He had felt his magic course through his body, like when he held his holly and phoenix wand for the first time. He was able to release the chains holding him down and was able to stun Sirius without draining much energy.

He had never heard of a potion acting like that.

 _How had Sirius acquired it?Who is Sirius really in this world?_

Harry had a choice to make now. Leave Sirius here to wake up at a later time and leave the place, or stay here and learn more about his not godfather and what happened to him.

Then Harry thought about the expression he had seen on Sirius's face when he had performed magic. He had seen the shock displayed on that face. But more than that he had seen an undeniable grief and hope on that face at the same time. And before he had knocked him out for a brief moment Sirius had called him 'Harry' in a tearful tone.

 _Why? Why would a person who so vehemently refused to believe that I am really Harry a few minutes ago suddenly change his stance just because I did something unexplainable and magical? Why would Sirius call me Harry because of that stunt?_

As far as he knew there was no magic in this world. The Ministry of Magic didn't exist here where it was supposed to be. He had even met Hermione who wasn't a witch.

Then again he had only been here for a few days. It was very much possible that magic could exist somewhere in this world. Maybe Sirius knows about it too.

Harry had made his decision on what to do with Sirius. He was going to wake him up and ask what happened. He wanted to know more about what happened to his alternate and the best source of information was laying right in front of him.

Harry slowly approached Sirius and hoping that it would work muttered, 'Rennervate'.

The spell had an immediate effect. Sirius suddenly woke up with a gasp and started to look around the room. Finally he found Harry. Sirius made an attempt to get up but Harry immediately put him down.

"Please don't Sirius." Harry said.

"If you try to get up, I will put you down again. I will answer your questions but in turn I want some answers as well."

Sirius nodded at him showing that he understood but then he asked,"Is that really you Harry?"

"Yes, I am Harry Potter, but not the one you know. You are his godfather aren't you?" Harry asked.

"Yes. But not his real one."

The reply given by Sirius really surprised Harry. What did he mean by that?

"What do you mean? Who is his real godfather?"

"His real godfather went missing long time ago. Sirius Black."

"Then who are you? Are you not Sirius?"

Harry was really confused now. The man before was not Harry Potter's godfather. But he was pretty sure that this is Sirius Black.

"You're taller now Harry, and much stronger than I last you" Sirius was smiling now.

 _What is he talking about? When had I met him before? Is he still thinking that I am his godson coming back from death?_

"Did you fall through the veil Harry?"

These words brought Harry's thoughts to a halt. How would this person know about the veil of death.

"Yes, I did" Harry replied.

"Who are you really?" Harry asked again.

"I am Sirius Black of the not so noble Black family, and you are Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived."

Harry had his doubts about Sirius before then. But he knew the title he was referred to in his own world. The only way he could know that title would be if he was from the same world Harry came from. And if that was.

"What did you ask of me the first time I met you?"

This was supposed to be a security question. Harry wanted to know.

"I offered you a home Harry, and you said it would be brilliant to live with me" Sirius said all this with a beaming smile on his face.

There was no doubt for Harry now. Only one person could possibly know that information here and that was his real godfather. His godfather who had fallen through the veil of death. His godfather whom he had thought dead and had mourned for a long time.

Harry removed the charm he had placed around Sirius and immediately went in to embrace his long lost godfather. Sirius returned the embrace.

Sirius knew Harry had come from the other world the moment he had performed magic. And Harry knew this was his godfather from the moment he mentioned the veil.

This was a reunion neither of them had expected but pleasant at the same time.

Harry thought, _This is how life should be._


	10. Revelations

Chapter 10: Revelations

Harry woke up with the morning light streaking on his face through the window. The sun almost seemed to shine brighter that morning. Much like how Harry was feeling right now.

The events that had unfolded the previous day was unreal to him. Never in a million years had he thought that Sirius could be alive even after he had fallen to the same fate as Sirius.

He went back to the moment when he was fifteen and had seen his godfather fall through the veil. He had thought it was a humourless prank for a few moments, that Sirius was going to come out of the other side at any moment even though Remus kept telling him that he was gone. He had waited for what felt like an eternity before the reality had sunk into him that his godfather was gone. He remembered breaking free of Lupin's hold and going after Bellatrix like a mad man. He remembers the grief he had felt. The urge for vengeance burning though his skin. The rage he had felt to hurt his godfather's murderer. A maniacal rage.

And for what? Only to fall into Voldemort's trap.

But there was an unsettling thought forming in Harry's head. Sirius didn't die after falling through the veil, much like himself. He had just got stranded in a different world.

But then who had he talked to using the resurrection stone? Who was that ghost who gave him the encouragement and courage to embrace his own death for the good of his people? Was it even a ghost? Or again like Dumbledore said, did that all happen inside his head?

A million questions were burning through his mind, but he had neither the energy nor the will to ask those questions yesterday. No real conversation had happened after the tearful reunion. After the emotional breakdown Sirius was quick to put him to bed saying that he still needed his rest and that they will talk in the morning. Harry had tried to argue but then conceded that it was a fair point. He was still recovering from a bullet shot. But he had garnered one thing from Sirius. They were in Grimmauld Place, or whatever form of ancestral home this world's Sirius had. This also meant that he had apparated a long way without his wand. He had apparated from Godric's Hollow to London just by instinct.

Harry got up from the bed and changed out of his pajamas. Sirius certainly had an extensive wardrobe. Harry again wondered what exactly Sirius had done in this world till then.

He walked out of the room he had got assigned by Sirius which was on the upper floor. He walked down the stairs and into the living room only for the fresh smell of pancakes to hit him like a homecoming call. It was coming from the kitchen.

Harry went into the kitchen to find Sirius flipping the pancakes over the stove while humming the tune of some old song to himself. Harry didn't recognize the song ,but knowing Sirius it could have been some early muggle rock songs he used to love so much.

Sirius must have seen him enter because a moment later he said, "Finally up,are you Harry? I have never seen you get up so late. Is that usual now?"

"More usual than I would like" Harry replied.

"Well never too late to get into the good habits Harry. I don't want to see you get up early anymore. You've got a tradition to uphold now." Sirius said all this in a neutral expression not giving away anything.

Harry had seen this side of Sirius before. During the brief summer and Christmas he had spent with him when he was in his fifth year. Even though Sirius seemed to have aged drastically, his mischievous side hadn't gone away.

"I assume you still brush your teeth in the morning Harry. There is a tooth brush and towel in the bathroom. Brush your teeth, have a shower and come quick or the pancakes will get cold."

Sirius was trying to make him feel at home like he was making up for lost time. Maybe he was trying too hard.

"I'll go, but you better not eat everything yourself. Leave something for me." Harry wasn't going to back down.

He walked out of the kitchen when he heard his godfather's call again, "Don't take the white one. Those are my favourite. You can take the black."

Harry couldn't help but grin. The jokes were lame and his replies were even worse but it didn't matter.

 _This is what family is supposed to look like. People who love each other and take care of each other._

This is the kind of life Harry had wanted for a long time, but the world just wouldn't let him have it. Feeling happy also brought him dread on what could happen in the future. Any time he had had felt happiness in his life it was immediately followed by something bad.

Harry brushed his teeth had his shower and came back into the living room where Sirius was serving the breakfast. All jokes aside Harry had a million questions in his mind. Sirius must have anticipated that.

"Whatever you want to ask Harry, and I'm sure you got a lot on your mind can wait till the breakfast is over. I have some questions of my own as well."

Harry nodded OK and sat down with Sirius for the meal.

Sirius didn't want any morbid talking while they eat. He had too much of that already in his childhood, in his own world. But he didn't stop joking with Harry. He went on like it was his god given right.

Finally the meal was over and Harry felt it was time for some answers.

"How are you still alive, Sirius?" The question slipped out of his mouth before he could control. He hadn't meant to phrase it like that.

"I could ask the same thing about you, Harry."

It was a fair point. How were they not dead.

"Tell me your story Sirius" Harry asked him.

"Well you know how I fell into the veil" Harry nodded. "That nasty cousin of mine" Sirius continued.

"After I fell through, it felt like I was falling. Only I think I wasn't. I could still see you Harry, screaming. I tried to hold on. But after some time your image started to fade away."

Sirius took a moment to compose himself.

"There was nothing left then. I knew about the veil of death, I knew I was dead. When I couldn't see you anymore I just let go. I felt like it was time, that I was going to see my friends again."

Harry knew that feeling. He had felt something similar when he fell. The only difference was about the part where Sirius had tried to hold on. For him.

"Obviously I didn't die. Do you know where I ended up?"

Harry nodded no.

"I fell flat on my face into a graveyard Harry. In Godric's Hollow."

"Did you end up there too?" Sirius asked Harry.

"No, I landed in the London Underground" Harry replied.

"How long have you been here Harry?"

"A week at most maybe."

Sirius paused for a while.

"In which year did you fell through the veil Harry?" Sirius asked.

"1998."

Harry's reply caused Sirius to frown.

"It's 2011 here Harry, you know that right." Harry nodded yes.

"It's a bit different from my account. You jumped 13 years into the future."

"In which year did you end up here Sirius?" Harry asked.

It was a genuine question.

"1981. November 5th to be more precise."

"That far back." Harry was astonished. While he had jumped 13 years forward Sirius had done a similar jump almost 15 years backwards.

"I didn't know what to do then. I thought I really was dead. The graveyard only made that idea stronger. But then I realized that it was Godric's Hollow."

"I saw their graves Harry. I had hoped to see them again but no, they were just a pile of dust here. I couldn't hold it."

His godfather's eyes had started watering.

"I saw them too" Harry said.

Sirius looked at him.

"In both the worlds."

This was news to Sirius. Guilt was welling up inside him, that he had never even brought Harry to visit his parent's grave.

"I'm sorry Harry. I never brought you there to visit them."

"It's OK Sirius."

They sat in silence for a moment before Sirius broke it.

"I found their house. There was no damage. I checked around the place and I could see a lot that I knew of but somehow seemed different."

"What did you do then?" Harry asked.

"Something very stupid" Sirius replied. "I didn't have my wand on me. I had lost it, maybe when I fell I don't know."

"I tried to apparate to London. The next thing I remember is someone sprinkling cold water over me. Apparently I had fainted and someone from the church had brought me inside. They offered me food and shelter. I couldn't refuse. I was really tired and wanted some respite. So I took on their offer."

"They asked about me. So I made up a name and story for myself. I couldn't really tell them about magic. I told them that I had memory problems and asked them what year it was. They were the ones who told me it was 1981."

"They were kind Harry. They knew I was lying but let me stay there anyway. But after a while guilt started to creep inside me. I wanted to find you and Remus."

Sirius paused for a moment and looked around the room and then at Harry.

"Do you know what happened to Harry of this world?" Sirius asked.

Harry gulped. Then he answered in a grave tone.

"I saw the grave at Godric's Hollow. I saw my name on that gravestone."

Sirius looked down his old age showing.

"That was just before I got shot" Harry continued.

Sirius snapped his head and looked at him.

"Who shot you?"

"I don't know. Some guy with a metal arm. I didn't see his face. He had a mask on."

Sirius seemed to be contemplating something.

"Why are you surprised Sirius? You treated me. You already knew I was shot."

Sirius answered, "I'm not surprised Harry. It's just we never found out who killed Harry and now you're telling me some metal dude shot you. I should have asked that question earlier. Slipped my mind. Old age does that."

That answer wasn't nearly satisfactory to Harry.

"How exactly are you old Sirius? I know you've been here for about 20 years now, but that doesn't make you old. Not for wizards anyway."

"You have been here for only a week Harry. Maybe you will experience it down the road, maybe you will not. But this world is different. It's not for us wizards. The fact that you were able to do magic here that too without a wand seems astonishing to me Harry."

"Then again, you were always prone to do the impossible Harry. But for me it was a long hard road. The grey hair is a result of that."

"What happened to you?" Harry asked him. He was dreading the answer but he still wanted to know.

"I couldn't do magic anymore Harry. For a long time I felt like a waste. I couldn't even turn into Padfoot."

"But you didn't lose it. That potion you gave me was certainly magical" Harry inquired.

"You are right Harry. I was able to do magic again, but it took years and even then I could only do the small stuff. That potion is not actually my creation. It was concocted by someone else. I just copied them."

"Who?"

"That's not important right now Harry. Let's just say that they helped me rebuild my life."

 _Who was this mystery person that helped Sirius?_

But that was not the relevant question here.

"Did you find Remus?"

"No" Sirius replied sadness etched on his face.

"I never found him. I never found a record of a Remus Lupin living in this world. Maybe he had a different name, maybe he was never born here. I don't know."

Sirius continued, "But there was a Sirius Black here, best friend to the Potters, godfather to Harry Potter."

"What happened to him?" Harry asked.

"Went missing, around the same time I came into this world. At least that's what I think. I don't know if it had anything to do with my arrival, but I didn't actively go looking for him either. I was kept busy."

Harry was unsettled. For some time he had a doubt that he had somehow influenced what happened to Harry in this world. Sirius seemed to have similar doubts.

 _Will he blame me?_

But it never came. Sirius looked in deep thought before Harry asked.

"How were you kept busy, Sirius?"

"I was in prison Harry. For a decade."

Harry couldn't believe it. After spending 12 years in Azkaban Sirius had suffered the same fate here. Why? Why his godfather?

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because apparently I killed James and Lily."

Harry was stunned. The parallels between the worlds were undeniable.

"How did you get out?"

"Silly question Harry. I didn't get out. I broke out."

Harry smiled a little. This was all horrible to hear, but the thought that Sirius had broke out of another prison.

 _He should do a show on prison break._

"The evidence was all against me. What court was going to believe me? Who would believe that I was a from a different universe?"

Sirius continued, "I could have gotten out easily if I had some use of my magic. Anyway, it took a lot of planning and friends within to make it happen."

"Cop buddies?" Harry asked.

"No actually, Jail break buddies."

"What happened then?"

"I got out of the country with their help. We were still at large criminals so we had to get out. I went with some guys who were headed east. I had thought to get as far away from Britain as possible."

"Where did you go?" Harry asked.

"All over the world. They taught me some stuff. Stuff I'm not proud of, but it helped me survive. Keep myself alive and out of authorities eyes."

Sirius looked at Harry and smiled, "Do you think I'm a bad person?"

"No" Harry replied. "I would have done something similar in that situation."

"That's what I kept telling myself Harry, that my situation was bad, that I had to do this. But after a while it got too much. The shame and the guilt."

"So I put an end to that life. A life of thievery. I had some cash stashed up so I started travelling further away from Europe."

"Where did you go?" Harry asked.

"To India."

"India?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I went to India. I wanted to find spiritual peace and where else to find it. I went to the Himalayas, joined with the pilgrims to find peace."

"And did you?" Harry asked.

"No" Sirius replied. "No matter where I went there was always this nagging thought in my mind that I needed to come back. But I didn't. I kept going on these journeys, until I reached Kathmandu."

"Where?" Harry asked.

"Kathmandu in Nepal. I was there for a while."

"And what happened there?"

"I got invited by a person to a place where he said I could be healed. I didn't know what he meant at the time."

"What is this place?" Harry asked.

"Kamar-Taj."

"And did you go there?" Harry asked.

"It was intriguing enough. So I went with him and Harry the stay there, it did heal me. Not physically. But it opened my mind. My life got clearer. By the end of my stay I could do magic again."

Sirius paused again smiling at the memory.

"I couldn't transform into Padfoot anymore, but I was able to spells again Harry. Not the powerful spells but enough to avoid detection and get by with my life."

"They knew about magic?" Harry asked.

"Oh, they knew. They had their own fancy word for wizards. Sorcerers. I'm sure they could do magic themselves but I never saw it."

"After some time I met the boss of the place. A woman. Everyone called her the Ancient One. I never asked for her real name. She told me to go back to my home. That I was needed by my family."

"I don't know why I listened to her, but listen I did. And that was a good decision. I went back to Britain and found that I had been declared innocent on some new evidence. My criminal records were expunged. I knew that someone high up had helped do that, and I don't know why they did that. But I'm grateful for that. I was treated as the sole fortune holder of the Black family and I played along with it you see. I got control of the estates and the family home. And I got Harry and Natalie away from the Dursleys."

"His sister."

"You researched yourself didn't you?" Sirius asked Harry.

"It seemed the best choice, to avoid problems. Apparently it only created problems."

"Trouble always comes around Harry, no matter how much you try to avoid it. Harry should have had a good life, but see what happened. He was like you. Always wanted to see justice get done. He joined the police force when he was very young, and his work there attracted the MI6. He joined them. Went on several dangerous missions. He liked living the dangerous life."

Sirius paused again, the conversation taking a heavy toll on him.

"Natalie blamed me you see. Said I was influencing his decisions and I had set him down that path. There were a lot of fights and finally she left. Probably a good thing or she could have been targeted too. I still have a security detail around her. She doesn't know that though."

Sirius looked very grim, like his animagus form. Harry had an inkling of what Sirius was feeling. He had lost someone whom he had considered his son. It was a wonder he was keeping it together.

"What happened to Harry?" Harry asked. It seemed weird to refer to himself in third person.

"There was this new program. Swapping agents between agencies. Something about inter agency relationships. And that's how he met his end. With SHIELD."

Harry asked, "What is this Shield?"


	11. A Furious Game

Chapter 11: A Furious Game

 _Location: Shield Headquarters in Washington DC_

Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. Someone really wanted their name to be spelled as Shield. A shield to the world from the threats within it. At least that's what it is meant to be.

And the Director, well he liked to be in control of things. Liked to be the one in charge. Liked to be the man calling the shots. And that is why he did not like this part of the day.

"The council is ready for you Sir" came the voice of the junior agent addressing him. Fury did not show any sign of hearing the agent. Then he turned around and walked away into the chamber room.

 _This is going to be a pain._

Fury didn't like these council meetings. Leaders of the world they are, but never sees the bigger picture. Always pushing their agendas and always trying to back him into a corner. Still he never gives in.

"Good Evening gentlemen, and lady" Fury addressed the council.

"I was told that the council had a matter to discuss" Fury added in a monotonous tone.

"Yes Director Fury" the US delegate addressed him.

"The council is concerned about an idea you have taken on lately. And you are spending a lot on it".

"What idea?" Fury knew feigning ignorance was futile but he certainly just did that.

"You know of what we are talking about, Director".

Fury bowed his head and sighed.

 _Political bureaucrats._ Fury lamented in his head.

"Director, we have heard about your searches in the Arctic and the resources you are spending on it. What are you hoping to find Nick?"

The question came from Councilwoman Hawley, the British delegate.

"Something of value ma'am" Fury replied. "Something that the world needs, and the resources spend on it won't be a waste".

"It's not a valuable material you are searching for Nick, we know it." It was Gideon Malick this time.

Fury knew before all the questions had started that the council had a clear agenda on their mind for this meeting. They wanted to shut down the Initiative. They must have seen the list and decided like everybody else that he had gone mad. But Nick knew that this Initiative was necessary. He could see the changes coming over the horizon and he knew that the world needed to be ready for whatever that was coming.

"You are right." Fury addressed the council. "We are not looking for a material in the depths of Arctic. But the search is valuable nonetheless."

Fury could see Pierce shaking his head, as if he disapproved of the direction where the conversation was heading.

"We are searching for Steve Rogers." Fury gave the answer the council was looking for. He could see that the council knew that already, and every single one of them was going to come down hard on him for this.

"Director Fury" it was councilman Yen. "We do not allocate the vast amount of funds and resources for Shield for you to go gallivanting across the globe on a fool's errand searching for lost heroes."

"It is not a fool's errand councilman Yen, I can assure you of that. We need to find him."

"Why?" It was Hawley again.

"Why do we need to find him? How do you even know if he is alive? He brought that plane down 70 years ago Director. Even if he is alive he would be in no condition to be on the field."

"We cannot in good conscience allow you to continue this work, Director."

"I know that the council does not approve of the Initiative." Fury wanted to make this very clear.

"But the resources we spend on it is very tiny in comparison to some of the other questionable funds I have seen over the years."

He locked eyes with the members of the council.

"You know of what I'm talking about."

He could see some of them shifting in their seats. He had information that could get them dirty and they could not afford it to be out in the world. But Fury knew that he was playing a very dangerous game.

Finally Hawley spoke, "We have seen the list Nick. This list of extraordinary individuals. How can you possibly hope to make this work?"

"Leave that to me, councilwoman" Fury answered in his usual manner.

He had won this round. A temporary victory. But the meeting wasn't over yet.

"There is something else we need to discuss Director." It was Malick.

 _What now?_

Fury was getting irritated now. He was having a long day that just wouldn't end.

"What is it?" he asked.

"We need you to head Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S".

 _What? They are handing control over to SHIELD. Why now?_

"Why now?" Fury asked.

"We also have kept track of the recent events, Director. The threats around the world are increasing. We need the Shield expertise as well as the security you provide for the project. We need this to be under the wraps."

Fury took a moment to have this information wash over him. They needed the security more than the expertise, he was sure of that.

"This will be a joint venture Director. NASA will be there as well, but you would be the one in charge."

"OK then. I will be the head of the Project." Fury of course knew about the project. About the unparalleled energy source that Howard Stark had fished out of the ocean. He would never had said no to this.

"Then it's settled, Director Fury. We will meet again on a later date."

The screens blinked once before going entirely blank, effectively ending the meeting.

Fury had a lot on his mind as he made his way back to his office. But just as he was about go through he noticed Agent Hill waiting for him.

"What is it Agent Hill?" he asked.

"Sir, you need to see this now."

She handed him a tablet showing an image. He looked over it and was shocked to see the face on that image.

"When was this taken?" he asked Agent Hill.

"3 days ago Sir. This is from Bristol." She swiped the screen to show another image.

"This is from London, about a week ago."

Fury studied the image. The resemblance was uncanny. But how was this possible.

"Are we sure it's him, it could be a doppelganger." He had his doubts on the identity of that face.

"There is no confirmation yet Sir, but he sure does look the same"

"Alright, do you know where he is now?" Fury asked.

"No. He was caught in cameras up to Bristol, but from there the trail goes cold."

"Why did it take such a long time to report this?"

 _Why indeed?_

"He always covered his face. The security footage only got a glimpse of him." Hill replied. "He seems to be in hiding."

"Alright then, sent a tail after him. Unless he goes out of his way to do something do not engage."

Fury continued, "Keep this under wraps. I do not want Coulson to know".

"What about Black?" Hill asked.

Fury rubbed his head.

"Nothing much we can do there. He doesn't trust us anyway. But keep a track of Black as well. He might come in contact with our doppelganger."

"Yes sir."

Maria Hill left his office leaving Fury to ponder on this new situation. He looked at the image.

"Who are you?"


	12. Life Anew

Chapter 12: Life Anew

It has been a month since Harry had arrived in this new world. He was settling into a nice little routine in this new life. Well as much as can be expected from a guy who got tossed around the universe.

A month was enough for Sirius to educate him on his new home. He had come to know of many events that had happened here that he had no idea back in his own world. According to Sirius these events were similar enough that one could assume that the two universes were in sync.

The major difference was of course the lack of magic or more accurately magic users. Don't get it wrong, there were magic users out there just not in the same scale as back in his universe. The life Sirius had led in Nepal had intrigued him enough to risk a journey, but Sirius was quick to turn down that idea. It was too dangerous for him to be out and about yet, or that's what his godfather kept telling him.

He had a point though. The ease with which someone had tracked him down and tried to kill him was still unnerving to Harry. If it wasn't for his magic, he would surely be dead now. Harry was no stranger to people trying to sneak up on him, after all he had a Dark Lord after him for most of his life. He wasn't afraid of death. He had already died and come back once, and really the only thing that made him come back then was the fact that Voldemort was still alive.

But even after all that, this new threat somehow was able to creep him out. Maybe it was because this was a new terrain that he had no knowledge of. He still had no idea who had attacked him. He had asked Sirius in hope of finding more, but Sirius had not heard of this man. His many contacts in the world came up empty as well. He had even divulged the dreams he had in this universe, but still there was no clue to ascertain who it could have been. The Harry who died had bullet marks on his body when they found him, but surprisingly no bullets. They had not gone through his body, but rather someone had removed them before the body was recovered. They could only assume it was the killer himself who had done that, maybe so it could not be traced back.

Harry had told him about the strike teams that he had seen in the dream, which just increased his godfather's paranoia. Sirius had first hand knowledge of the kind of dreams Harry could have and the fact that such an effort was made to kill his godson send warning bells in his head. Which again brought him back to Harry's last workplace. An intelligence agency known as the Shield.

It was obvious that Sirius was distrustful of this organization, understandable since he had already lost his godson to it. Shield was another reason that Sirius had asked him to keep his head down. His godfather was certain that Shield would have already known of Harry Potter's apparent resurrection. It was safe to assume that a meeting with them would not go down well for anyone involved and Sirius was determined to keep Harry out of it.

And that's how he found himself on the outbacks of Australia thanks to the many questionable connections Sirius had. Harry never pried on that aspect of his godfather's life, clearly not wanting to know the answers. He could just imagine Sirius sitting at the head of a long table and addressing his fellow misfits, like _The Godfather_.

He had of course never tried to contact his sister, who was not that far away. Seeing her dead brother out and about could have freaked her out big time. Still he had seen her from the relative confines of his own safety. She looked like his mother, her red hair being the most striking feature. She had a husband and a son, a family of her own. After a long time in his life Harry was feeling a kind of kinship. This was technically his family too, but still so far out of reach.

It was one of those days where he would just wander out into the world, in disguise of course. The protection Sirius provided was not too far away, willing to take action at the first sign of trouble. He could spot them walking through through the crowd maintaining a safe distance from him, but not letting him out of sight. Harry could have used magic to hide himself from them at any point, but didn't think it was worth the trouble he would give his godfather. He would not able to say how far the people hunting him could go or how much they could know. The charms he used to avoid notice from people couldn't do much against security cameras, and going out of his way to tamper them would only bring attention to himself. The assassin had seen him disappear into thin air. The people hunting him would be cautious to approach and will surely be better prepared next time.

His two bodyguards were moving in front of him. He was sure that there would be others as well, not that he could see them of course. But still no further attempts had been made on his life after that soldier had shot him. It was unnerving. He was certain that these people would not give up that easy, and this was only the calm before the storm. The lack of attempts had almost lulled him into a false sense of security.

Maybe that's why he didn't notice the shadow that wasn't supposed to be there.


	13. Rewrite Coming Up

Sorry, this is not an update.

I read through the story again and found some glaring plot holes in it. As such I have decided to rewrite it.

The new story will be simply titled 'The Avengers'.

The first chapter will be posted in just under 10 minutes. So do check it out.


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